Tales of a Weary Traveler

By Joe Cagle

I have used my experiences to produce this work. It contains some fiction as well as nonfiction. I wanted you to feel everything I have felt and want to experience even more. I have included not only thoughts but also promises. Each one carried some of my own heartfelt images but also some of my own blood. I hope you enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the series as I look forward to bringing it to you. Until next time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662430770

Book preview

Chapter One

He Was Family Devoted

Family comes first.

Old Josh was a loner. By his own words, he had been a loner for the better part of fifty years. As far as friends go, he had two. One was Nate Bundy, and the second was Milo, his horse. Maybe one reason why he and Nate remained friends over the years was because Nate only came around about every seven months or so. Nate would be on his way to town to pick up a few supplies, and he’d stop by Josh’s place to see if there was anything he needed. Of course, while there, Josh and Nate would talk some and certainly down a few glasses of Josh’s home brew.

Josh Taylor, age sixty-three years, became a loner at a very early age. He and his parents lived on the plot of land Josh now lived on, but with a few differences. I suppose you could say Josh had a reasonably good childhood—at least up to the time he was twelve years old. His dad, Jake Taylor, had spent a lot of time with Josh showing him how to live their kind of life. So he learned the art of surviving cold winters, hot summers, animal attacks, and illnesses. The winters in Colorado could be bad up in the mountains, but the Taylor family did well. Jake and Josh grew everything they ate except for meat, and that they hunted or trapped. During those early years, Josh and Jake would load up their wagon, and Nellie, Josh’s mom, would bring chicken and other fixings. And off to town they would go.

Town to them was a place called Blufftown. The whole town consisted of 863 folks, two general stores, a doctor (of sorts), a livery stable, a salon, a barber shop, and a restaurant—but more fitting, the restaurant would more suitably be named or called a small eating place. The Taylors had no money, so everything obtained—such as coffee, sugar, flour, tobacco, material, and seeds—were purchased with skins and pelts that Jake and Josh had trapped or simply hunted. All in all, it was a good life. There were no neighbors up on their side of the mountain. The closest folks were on the other side of the mountain and some fifty miles away. As you may imagine, seeing anyone during the hard winter months was something that just didn’t happen. As it turned out, Nate Bundy and his folks were those close neighbors.

Springtime was a very special time of the year for the Taylors. The planting of next year’s food would begin. It was a family affair, and back then, Jake had a team of mules to pull the plows. Jake and Josh would switch off on the plowing, and the other, with Nellie, would plant. Nellie seemed to take immense pride in making lunches for her men. The work was hard, so she fed them well. All three were partial to spring outside of the planting. Nellie would also have a flower garden that she tended with the same loving care she gave to her men. Usually, a few strays or hurt animals would be brought home by Josh when he had been fishing or just taking a little time off. As strange as it may sound, Nellie was a well-educated lady, and she put her education to work on Josh. Even though Josh never set foot in a classroom, he could read and write and had a good understanding of math.

During spring and summer, they had picnics, went for long walks, and generally enjoyed the great and beautiful life that God had given them. This time of the year also called for the gathering of honey that Nellie used in place of sugar for most things she cooked or baked, and she did a lot of that. Nellie could be described as a contented woman. Although not many affectionate words were ever spoken, it was obvious that Nellie and Jake loved each other and, in turn, showered their love on Josh. There would be no more children in the Taylor family, so Josh never lacked for attention that he needed.

So it was while Jake and Josh were working the field that they heard Nellie screaming. Running as fast as they could to the house, they saw that Nellie had been attacked by a huge timber wolf. Without even breaking stride, Jake flew into the fight. While Jake was fighting for his own life, Josh managed to pull his mom away from the wolf. Jake was not a small man, and all the arduous work had given him a strength that, if put to the test, would prove superior to almost anything or anyone; but Jake had his hands full with the wolf. He was bitten and clawed all over before; with a death grip on the wolf’s head and an extra surge of strength, Jake managed to snap the neck of the wolf. Although victorious, Jake was a bloody mess. Nellie was just as bad off if not worse, but both were alive and thankful. Josh helped carry Nellie into the house, and they began caring for her with what little amount of medicines they had. After Nellie was taken care of, Josh started the procedure on Jake. By the next day, both his mom and dad had high fevers and were in terrible pain. The only pain reliever they had was Jake’s home brew, so Josh kept giving them enough to dull the pain and, at the same time, keep cool rags on their heads to help keep down the fever that raged within their bodies.

Neither his mom nor dad could eat, but Josh made them swallow water all during the days and nights. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but it just seemed to be the right thing to do. As it turned out, his efforts had indeed saved their lives. On the sixth day after the attack, some improvement was noted by Josh. Their fevers had broken, but there was still some remaining. Both his mom and dad were so weak they could hardly raise their heads. Josh, who had slept little and had eaten even less, was also in a weakened condition. However, his parents began a slow recovery; until on the thirteenth day after the attack, Nellie began to get sick again. It would have changed nothing for Jake or Josh to know it, but the wolf had been rabid. There was no hope for Nellie, and after three more days of blazing fever, Nellie died. Josh was crushed, and Jake was getting sick again himself. However, with much love and dignity, Nellie was buried on their land near the foot of a tree that she had always loved so much. Jake’s fever came back like a hammer to the head, and both he and Josh knew it was just a matter of time that Jake, too, would be dead and leave Josh alone at the age of twelve years. Just before he died, in a brief fit of wakefulness, he told Josh he loved him and to lay him to rest next to Nellie so they would always be together. The rising of the sun the next morning marked the death of Jake Taylor.

As Jake had wished, Josh spent most of the next day digging a grave. Although not sick, Josh was so weak from lack of sleep and food it took him most of the day and part of the next to completely dig the grave. It was with love and respect that Josh laid his dad to rest next to his mom. Simple and plain grave markers were made and placed at the head of the graves of his parents. Up to that time, Josh had not even thought about his being alone now. With the completion of his task, he ate and laid down to rest. It was the afternoon of the next day that Josh awoke to a quiet house, and it finally came crashing down on him that he was alone and on his own, never to see his parents again or ever to feel the warmth of them again. The quiet and stillness played tricks on Josh, but he was old enough to know he no longer had a family. So it was with fright and limited determination that Josh set about maintaining his home. From that time forward, Josh was a loner.

Nate Bundy was three years older than Josh and did most of the traveling for his family. It was on just such a trip that Nate stopped by the Taylor place only to learn of the deaths of Jake and Nellie. Josh showed Nate the graves and told him of the honorable deaths of his parents and how much they had suffered, and he spoke very proudly of the way his dad had jumped into the fight, taking the wolf away from Nellie and how he had finally killed the wolf. Josh hoped he could someday be the man his dad had been.

Nate loaded up one of Josh’s mules with furs and pelts and found out what Josh was needing to attempt to maintain his life here on the mountain as Josh had insisted he would do. When a week later Nate returned to Josh’s place, he brought with him the food stuffs needed as well as a .30-30 rifle with six boxes of shells. Nate figured that would cover Josh through the winter months ahead as well as bolster his own self-worth. Josh needed to do something. He needed to farm, he needed to cook, he needed to sew and hunt, but most of all, Nate knew Josh would have to grow up quickly if he expected to live up here. Josh was growing up. Things got bad at home, but he kept up as best that he could. During the following winter, a pack of wolves came down from the high country and killed his mules. Josh was now on foot. Nate still came by from time to time and expected to find Josh dead or gone, but each time, Josh would be there to welcome his friend to his home. Although his cooking would never rival his mother’s cooking, it was okay. He and Nate would eat supper, fill their pipes, grab a cup of coffee or some brew left over from his dad, then go outside, and sit. Sometimes they even talked, but mostly the evening and the comfort of having a friend was all that was needed.

The years seemed to go by quickly for Josh and Nate. Josh was twenty years old, and Nate was twenty-three. They had each grown into well-rounded men, and both still enjoyed their visits; but it was always Nate who traveled to Josh’s home. Not once in all the years did Josh ever travel to Nate’s place. For some unspoken reason, Josh just simply didn’t leave his home. Maybe it was so he wouldn’t be leaving his mom and dad, or maybe he was just comfortable there and saw no reason to leave.

One summer day while Josh was out working in the field, a hot ember from his cooking fire in the fireplace popped out and started a fire that saw Josh’s home burned to the ground. He was unable to save anything but the rifle. Nate later told him he had seen the smoke and knew something was wrong and came as quickly as he could. Upon his arrival, Nate saw only ashes where once Josh’s home had stood, and Josh was by the graves of his parents, talking to them. When Josh saw that Nate was there, he came to him and wondered just what he was going to do now. Nate suggested that he rebuild. It would take some time, but if Josh wanted to stay on the mountain, he had to have a place to live in. After much discussing, Josh and Nate loaded up all the furs and pelts that Josh had and that he could put on Nate’s horse and Nate headed to Blufftown. He was certain he could get a fair price or a fair amount of goods for Josh to rebuild and stock up some foods and a few articles of clothing. He could understand Josh’s reluctance to leave the mountain. Being of the same mind, he knew Josh was comfortable there and would always feel the same even though his mom and dad were long gone. The mountain was his home, and there he would stay.

Josh knew well the winters on the mountain and set about cutting trees to start rebuilding. With an ax and the saw and more determination than he thought possible, Josh went to work. He was able to fell and strip only four trees that first day. A good start but a mighty long way to go before being finished. He had some nails to use but not nearly enough. Nate would be bringing more, and maybe with both working, it wouldn’t take too long before he had a home again. He doubted it would be as good a home as his daddy had made, but he just knew that his daddy would be proud of him for doing what he was doing. Long into the night, Josh stripped and cut until his hands bled, and the many blisters and splinters he received for his efforts made for pain. Rising early the next morning from his fitful sleep on leaves to lie on and stars to cover him with, he began again. This day, he managed to fell and strip only two trees. His hands were so raw he could hardly stand for them to touch anything. But he had a job to do, and so he did it the best he could. He knew if it were his daddy, he wouldn’t quit. Although cutting the logs was hard, it did give him time to think and plan. He knew little to nothing about building a home. That was one of the few things his daddy had not taught him. They had a home and all the outbuildings necessary before Josh was born, and I guess no one ever thought of the possibility of the home burning down. No matter; Josh lived in a house all his life and knew well each tiny crack and where each shelf had been. He felt he would be able to rebuild almost exactly what his mom and daddy had made.

Josh had taken time enough away from the job at hand to hunt and had killed three rabbits. Nate wouldn’t be back for several more days most likely, but he had to eat. The rabbits, along with what he raised in his mom’s garden, would provide him all the food he needed. Josh didn’t worry. He still had the land he had known all his life, and he still talked with his mom and daddy and got good advice from them from time to time. When Nate would come by as he did in the past, he could always get more information about how to live better here on his side of the mountain. So far, the weather had been good. Summer was still a favorite time of the year for Josh, but he still, even after all these years, missed the picnics he and his parents would go on. After cleaning the rabbits and frying the meat, he pulled some carrots from his mom’s garden. He decided he would go talk with his mom and daddy and let them know he would be down by the creek for a while, and he wanted to invite them along. Making his way along the well-worn path to the creek, Josh stopped for a minute here to enjoy the trees and bushes and to hear the birds. He loved it here, but he may not have associated the word love with the way he felt about it. It was his home, and that was that. He would protect it at all costs and care for the land the way he carefully tended the graves of his mom and daddy.

He recalled growing up here, and he remembered well his time here at the creek fishing with his daddy or even by himself. There was no leaving now. He had everything he could possibly want, and his mom and daddy gave him the stability he needed as he grew, at least until the time of the wolf attack. He had great memories he could recall any time he wanted and did so very often. He may not have realized the feeling, but it did get lonesome here; and with no neighbors close by, he didn’t have a lot to talk about to except his mom and daddy and maybe a few hurt animals he found. Sitting on the bank of the creek, Josh enjoyed the meal and enjoyed the peace and quiet he always seemed to find here. Without even realizing it, the sun was beginning to settle in the Western sky, and he still had a lot of work to do before winter decided to make its appearance again.

Picking up the remains of the meal, he headed back to the task at hand. He did take the time necessary to prepare enough of the wood he had on hand to build a cover for the nights until he had a roof. It did look as if rain was to be his visitor soon, and he would just as soon have some type of shelter. Maybe three more days for Nate to return. The shelter he would need to build would have to be large enough to accommodate Nate as well, and Nate did assure Josh that he would be around to help build his home.

It seemed Nate had been a friend all his life, yet for all the years they had known each other, they knew very little about each other. Josh didn’t have any idea about what Nate liked or disliked and so forth, and he supposed it was the same the other way around. Friends seemed to just know things, and so he never really gave it much thought. I suppose he took things for granted, but that was okay. That’s just the way things were here on the mountain.

It seemed to take forever for the trees to come down. It’s a good thing he didn’t have to drag the trees far. With his raw hands and his tired aching body, he was lucky to have a total of eight trees down so far. Of course, he would need many more than that, but he had a little while yet. It